Massive sinkhole opens in Oregon highway

It is the second sinkhole to appear on Highway 101 in Harbor in as many months, after a 50ft chasm appeared in December.

There have been no injuries or evacuations but traffic has been re-routed to a detour creating havoc for commuters.

“It’s a monster“, Jared Castle, spokesman for the Oregon Department of Transportation told NBC News. The original sinkhole is located in a parking lot across the street. Originally, it was just seven feet deep and about the width of a volleyball, but the void continued to grow underneath and eventually collapsed.

Officials could not say how big the sinkholes were but said its depth exceeded 60 feet.

While the alternate route established for the duration of the closure will cause delays amounting to around 5 to 10 minutes, it will at least keep commuters safe, as they try to steer their vehicles along the enormous gaping hole, which is believed to be the largest reported throughout southwest OR in the last two decades.

Sinkholes and landslides frequently occur in the region because of the geology of the area, Castle said.

Road crews have been working to seal the hole to reduce the detour time, but the road is not expected to be completely repaired until March. Thus, we must hang our head in shame and correctly state that the photos below illustrate sinkhole damage to Shopping Center Avenue which runs parallel to Highway 101.